San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-03-04

wonder Is. Jdck says, lNdt YOU u got 81
! far up the stream without mishap, for
the ice under the shelter of the trees is
/ comparatively thin. and
"Sever mind all that" Dick inter-
rupted irreverently, II want TO know
/ about the grill Where on earth could
! she have come fromg'
"Ah, that's what everyone wants
to know" supplemented Kate; whilst
There's the rubl" Edie opined, one
and all gazing blankly at the hero of
the nights adventure-himself by no
means the least mystified by the singu-
lar complexion of affairs.
at seems, moreover" continued
Kate, that the carriers had already
told the story of your rescue at the
crossroads, over their ale at the public
house last night; asserting that they
had received intimation of the disaster
from a spectral being in every respect
resembling the famous Burnham ghost.
So Jack and his wife are already won
dering whether this second marvellous
interposition on your behalf may not
perchance have emanated from the
same miraculous source. AS for me, I
really don't know what to think; re-
gard the matter in what light one will,
it's most disquieting reflection that
that"
."That ones brother is haunted man
-eh, KittyW roared Dick infinitely
amused. However, all l can say is,
that if ghosts in general would but
adopt the same role as this ghost in par
ticular, the mortal dread in which they
solve itself into the thinnest Of thin air.
IN M / q
my life half-a-dozen times in the bliss
full consciousness that this most delect-
able wrath will send human assistance
to my aid in the very nick of time"
"Ah, but bear in mind the Burnham
ghost only walks at Christmas round
about the common and crossroads"
Edith fastened to impress upon her
brother with such genuine anxiety, lest
he should run the fatal risk at some ill
advised moment, that both the girls
and Dick himself laughed heartily in
chorus at her simplicity-the young
man assuring her he would not be fool
hardy excepting at prescribed seasons,
when the danger was but nominal.
Soon after that the carriage was an
nounced, the fair trio embraced the in
valid again and yet again, and, charged
with multiplicity of reassuring mes
sages for the vicar and mamma, finally
took their leave of Dick, their host,
and the dreary precincts of Bleak
House.
But Dick was not yet destined to find
himself left to the luxury of solitary
meditation; even as the rustic of the
last retreating skirt died away, a low
knock at the chamber door was fol-
lowed by the entrance of no less per-
sonage than the baronet, who, to Dicks
surprise, stirred the ruddy embers in
the crate, drew an armchair close up to
the hearth, and settled himself with
his feet upon the fender in an attitude
of quite unwonted relaxation; for it
was seldom, indeed, Sir Jasper unbent,
at any rate in the presence of a
guest.
Dick sought to beguile the tedium of
the hour-having already expressed his
contrition at having occasioned so
much trouble at Bleak House, and cast
a gloom over the lOng-talked-of torch
light festivities which the news of his
disaster had, of course, brought to
summary conclusiOn-by retailing the
chatter of his sisters, and the silly Cos
sip current on the subject of this second
miraculous escape"
Sir Jasper, however, was chiefly con-
cerned from the landed proprietor's
point of view. 1t was obvions, he said.
that some vagrant or Migrants were
skulking about the neighborhood, and
this was matter requiring immediate
investigation. The grounds about the
lake were private property; anyone
lurking among the underwood or trees
was probably cherishing 'felonious in
TENT" he should, therefore give instruc-
tions the very next morning to have his
own grounds searched, and advise his
friend, the squire, to follow suit. If
marauders were about, the sooner they
were discovered the better, if only in
order to put an end to the absurdly fall
lacious notion already freely whispered
abroad. His man, Charles, indeed, but
an hour ago, having ventured to ask
his master, with an awe-stricken ex-
preston of countenance as he removed
the coffee, whether lit wur true, sir,
that tn young gent upstairs were an
'aunted mani"
The two gentlemen having fully dis
cussed and enjoyed this joke, an omi-
nous pause suddenly ensued, broken at
length by the barOnet, who startled
Dick by beginning abruptly and in
strange low key:
''Dick, will it bore you to listen to an
old mans condolences, or only serve,
perhaps, to pass the time? Well, then,
l have that upon my mind tonight,
which it seems to me should not re-
main unsaid one single hour longer, for
after more than dozen years, the spir-
1t for the first time moves me now to
the baronet involuntarily paused and
cleared his throat in a strange nervous
fashion, continuing only by palpable
effort-'Greta"-he did not notice how
Dick started-''which was a name Of
endearment had been wont to apply
to her mother. Well, in due course I
sent the girl abroad to school; ulti-
mately to finish, as they call it, in one
of the best seminaries in Hanover,
whence, in no less than six months, she
she, the only child of proud English
barOnet, mark you, in whose blue veins
ran the Norman blood which her ances-
tors had preserved throughout long CEN
turtles undiluted, undefiled by a single
drop of plebian allOy-she eloped with
her music-masterl some ominO-thump-
ing, caterwauling, moon-struck Pole,
who, no doubt, perceived the immense
advantage of contracting an indissolu-
BILE tie with scion of the British aris-
tocracy. Later investigation proved
that before this miscresnt rose to the
dignity of an instructor of youth he
had been an intinerant musician, wan
dering from one small town to another,
performing at concerts held in barns,
as is the fashion in those parts. Well,
he had married my Greta-my only
child, Marguerite's legacy-the sole
thing for which cared on earthl And
then they forthwith ''implored forgive
ness" as the story-books say; entreated